001 — THE LIFE OF SLAVERY

ATHENA

I'm having a wonderful dream for the first time in a long while when I'm suddenly blasted with a wave of something very cold and very, very wet. 

My eyes snap open and I come face-to-face with my uncle's wife from the pit of hell,

A.K. A. The evil witch. 

She's not an actual witch, that's just what me and my best friend, Jasmine, call her.

I'm literally gasping for breath as my gaze bounces between the hateful look on her face and the empty bowl in her hands. 

"What the hell are you still doing in bed by this time, young lady?" She sneers. "It's eight o'clock. My daughter is supposed to leave for school in the next thirty minutes and her breakfast isn't ready yet."

I blink rapidly to clear the remnants of sleep in my eyes and struggle to my feet. I ache all over from cleaning the entire house from top to bottom last night. 

I'm already shaking with anger but I try as hard as I can to control my temper. "Aunt, I'm eight months pregnant. You did not have to soak me with cold, freezing water. You could've just called my name." 

Her lips curl in a snarl.

"No one asked you to whore yourself out like a cheap slut to any available male in the pack, Athena. Your bastard child is on you and I'll be damned if you let that pregnancy get in the way of your duties. Do you understand me?"

Her words sting horribly but I force myself to hold back my annoyance.

"My child is not a bastard. The Supreme Alpha's son is responsible for this pregnancy. We're in love and he promised…"

I barely finish my sentence when she bursts into loud, mocking laughter;

"Read my lips, Athena. The Supreme Alpha's son will never, ever have anything to do with a dirty little hybrid like you. You will only be a stain on his name and his family will never accept you.

It's high time you stopped going around and yapping that he's responsible for that abomination in your womb. You're nothing to him.

Now, get out of here and make breakfast for my daughter. I'll make you mow the lawn if she's late for her test!"

My eyes are burning with tears as I lower my head and trudge to the kitchen. Damn pregnancy hormones. 

This is how my life has been for the past five years. 

After my parents were brutally murdered in an ambush on my eighteenth birthday, I was brought to the NightHunters pack as a slave.

I hate them. I loathe every single one of them for what they did to me and my parents. 

I made a vow that I'll avenge my parents' death. I'll never let them go unpunished.

It's been hell since I came here. Everything was taken away from me. My life transformed from princess to slave. Everyone in the pack hates me asides my best friend, Jasmine. 

But miraculously, my life changed a year ago when Hector Kensington, the Supreme Alpha's son, saved me from committing suicide. 

I fell in love with him at first sight. Two months later, I gave him my virginity and so far, I have no regrets. 

Our relationship is forbidden because I'm half witch and the pack members hate me for that, but Hector loves me and that's all that matters. 

I'm already shivering from the cold as I step into the kitchen. I look up to find my cousin, Zara, already seated at the marble counter and tapping away at her phone.

The moment she sees me, her nose wrinkles with disgust.

"About time. I need eggs and toast. I do not want to see an inch of cheese on my toast because I'm watching my weight. Hurry up and get it done."

I give her a onceover, my gut burning with annoyance as I slowly walk to the stove. Zara is the poster girl for beauty standards in the NightHunters pack and America as a whole — blonde hair, blue eyes, stick thin and not a single fat in sight. 

I hate her.

"I'm eight months pregnant, Zara. Isn't it high time you learned how to make your own coffee?" I say boldly.

"You ungrateful bitch!" She yells at the top of her voice.

"You should be happy that I begged my parents to let you live here. I understand that that bastard in your womb is giving you a lot of boldness these days, but you'll not gloat for long. Just wait and see."

Her words leave me stunned. 

What the hell does she mean by that…?

***

It's already ten minutes past the hour of ten when I arrive at college in my uncle's old, raggedy truck. 

His wife made me mow half the lawn after all because Zara was five minutes late for her test.

The truck puffs and huffs until it rolls to a stop, adding to my annoyance. My uncle and his family keep borrowing from my late parents' money to better their lives while I continue to suffer and live in abject poverty. 

I only stick one foot out of the truck when a pretty, dark-haired lady flies in my direction.

"Athena, my little chipmunk. You finally made it!"

My lips stretch in a wide smile as my best friend helps me out of the truck.

"Easy there, mama." She pats my bulging tummy. 

"Thanks, aunty Jasmine." I tease. 

"Have you seen Hector around?" I ask as we make our way towards the main building. "He's the only reason I'm in school today. I don't have any classes."

At the mention of Hector's name, Jasmine's smile disappears. For two seconds. 

I frown.

"Is something wrong? Did something happen at home?"

She forces a smile. "No, no. Of course not. I just feel a little… ill."

I give her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and we waddle father into the building.

The moment we step into the busy hallway, all eyes turn in our direction and instantly zero in on me.

I mean, I'm used to the stares but there's something really creepy about the way people are looking at me… and giggling. 

My neck tingles with uneasiness as whispers follow us every step of the way. 

It becomes worse exactly two minutes later. Students are openly laughing at me now. Some are even pointing. And they're all looking at something on their phones.

"Um… bestie, what's going on? What with the extra attention today?" I ask.

Jasmine stops all of a sudden and gives me a look that's filled with pure sadness. Right there and then, I start to panic.

Suddenly, I hear a familiar voice behind me. 

"Girls, if it isn't the pack's whore. How's your bastard child doing today, Athena?" 

I turn around to find Beverly, my cousin's best friend, and her gang of minions all staring at me with open hostility.

I sigh deeply. "What do you want, Beverly?"

She flips her perfect black hair.

"Oh, nothing, nothing." She says with fake sweetness. "I just want to know how it feels to identify as the pack's clown?" 

My eyes narrow. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes soften with mock pity.

"Oh, you haven't heard. For someone who takes so much pride in yapping that your bastard foetus belongs to our alpha's son, he really did you dirty."

She turns to Jasmine. "Didn't you tell her? You know her wretched self cannot afford a phone. You should at least keep her informed."

"Tell me about what?!" I snap, finally losing my patience.

"Girl, chill." Beverly hisses as she fishes out her phone and scrolls through it. 

"Ah, there it is…"

She turns the phone in my direction, a corner of her lips lifting in a devious smile.

Twenty seconds later, I can swear that my heart stops beating as I stare at the video on the screen. 

No, it can't be. The first person I see in the video is my boyfriend, Hector. And the things he's saying…

Goddess, please. Let it be a lie. Please…